A Westmoreland County man could be fined as much as $15,000 after he brought his loaded .22 caliber pistol to Pittsburgh International this morning.
TSA officers at the security checkpoint prevented the Greensburg man from taking the weapon in his carry-on bag onboard his flight.
Three handguns were seized at the airport last week, bringing this year's total 34, one less than the record number of 35 in 2019.
No one can carry a weapon on to an airplane, not even passengers with concealed carry permits.
"Once again I find myself needing to point out that there is absolutely no excuse for bringing a gun to one of our checkpoints," said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA's Federal Security Director for the airport. "Firearms should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage and responsible gun owners know that," she said. "Bring a gun to our checkpoint and you will face a stiff federal financial civil penalty that could cost you thousands of dollars. Make no mistake, we take this very seriously and there is a high cost for gun owners who think that they can waltz through a checkpoint and onto a plane with a gun."
Passengers can only travel with a gun in a checked bag. They need to be unloaded in a hard-sided locked case.
